****Come, Christians, Join To Sing

In the past few years, I have researched and written over 200 weekly hymn stories and commentaries. And I have been surprised to learn that a fair number of the hymns we sing were originally written for children.

COME CHRISTIANS, JOIN TO SING is one of them.

It was written in 1843 and was originally titled, “Come, Children, Join To Sing.”

The author, Pastor Christian Henry Bateman, published it along with several of his other children’s hymns, in a songbook called, Sacred Melodies for Children.

To be fair, the hymn didn’t originate with Bateman; it was a reworking of an 1836 hymn with the same music and meter, and similar lyrics written by William Hickson.

The hymn was very popular in Scotland and sold over 6 million copies. When Bateman discovered that adults also enjoyed singing it, he changed the word, Children, to Christians, to make it more universally functional.

The song is an invitation to sing praises to God; an act that is referenced about 60 times in the book of Psalms.

In Psalm 47, God’s people are called to: “Sing praises, sing praises to God! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with understanding” (Ps. 47:6-7).

In the new testament, the Apostle, Paul, wrote to the Church instructing them to “Sing and make music in your heart for the Lord, always giving thanks.” (Eph.5:19-20)

The word, "Alleluia" (or Hallelujah) means “praise the Lord.”  The word, "amen," means assuredly or truly.  Those words, coupled together, are repeated at the end of each phrase, to remind and instruct the children (and all of us) to “Praise the Lord in Truth.”  

****WE PRAISE THEE, O GOD, OUR REDEEMER

  

WE PRAISE THEE, O GOD, OUR REDEEMER, was written by Julia Cory. Her father was a Sunday school superintendent who encouraged her, while she was still young, to write hymns. 

One day the music director, at her church, asked her to compose some new lyrics to be sung to the tune of the popular Thanksgiving hymn, "We Gather Together." 

About two weeks later, Julia had produced this new hymn.

In the new testament, the apostle Paul instructed the churches to speak to themselves with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. 

Paul’s instructions are beneficial to most Christians because there is so much doctrine that is learned and retained in the songs we sing.

But, on the other hand, Psalm 30:4 commands us, "Sing to the Lord, you saints of His; praise His holy Name." 

We have many songs that remind us or encourage us to praise our God, but we often forget that He also wants us to sing praises directly to Him. This hymn is one of a few that does exactly that.

This simple hymn identifies eight activities that God desires from His people: 

• Our praises
• Our thanksgiving
• Our tributes 
• Our submission 
• Our love 
• Our worship 
• Our unity with other believers 
• And Our singing 

The hymn also identifies eight activities, of our God, that are worthy of our praises:

• He is our Redeemer 
• He is our Creator 
• He is the God of our fathers 
• He is our Guide 
• He is our Deliverer 
• He is our Defender 
• He is our Lord 
• And He is ever-present with us 

The third stanza concludes with a direct proclamation of praise; “To Thee, our great Redeemer, forever be praise."

Julia’s hymn was first used in her church’s Thanksgiving Day service just a few weeks after she wrote it. One month later, her father wanted to use it for a Christmas service at their church, so he asked her to add a stanza about the incarnation.

The new (fourth) stanza, which alludes to the message of John 3:16, is a song of thanksgiving to God for sending His Son to die for the salvation of those whom He loved.

The Christmas stanza says:

Thy love Thou didst show us, 

Thine only Son sending,

Who came as a babe and whose bed was a stall,

His blest life He gave us 

And then died to save us;

We praise Thee, O Lord, for Thy gift to us all.

****IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE GOD ONLY WISE (2)

"The aim and final reason for all (our) music should be nothing else but the glory of God and the refreshment of the spirit."  Johann Sebastian Bach 

One of the functional responsibilities of pastoral leadership is to guard the doctrinal purity and the truth of the Word of God whether spoken, written, or sung, in corporate worship.

Psalm 66: 1-4 says, "Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!  Sing out the honor of His Name; Make His praise glorious. 

Say to God, '"How awesome are Your works!  Through the greatness of Your power, Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.  All the earth shall worship You and sing praises to Your Name." 

Unlike many other praise and worship songs, IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE is a classic example of a true, God-centered praise hymn. It was written by Walter Smith who, in the late 1800s, pastored the Free Church of Scotland for forty-four years.

His original hymn had five stanzas but, in most hymnbooks, the last two have been carefully combined and what we have today, is an amazing hymn of reverential praise to the greatness of our God. In four short stanzas, He is praised for at least 23 of His character traits.

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light, inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish, but naught changeth Thee.

Great Father of Glory, pure Father of Light
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render, O help us to see:
’Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee.

The hymn’s opening line is a paraphrase of 1Tim. 1:17, "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever.  Amen." 

****WHAT WONDROUS LOVE IS THIS?

There is a myth about the origin of many of our hymns that goes something like this:

"The melodies for some of our great hymns of the Christian faith were originally bar tunes."

Even though that's been debunked many times, it just won't go away.   The problem is a misunderstanding of musical terminology.  

Hymnwriters did, and still do use bar tunes, but that doesn't mean what we think.  The correct terminology is a “bar form,” which is a specific musical form where there are two identical or similar lines followed by a contrasting one.  That form would be noted musically, as AAB or in some cases, AABA.  (An example of that form would be the hymn, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.")

Today’s Hymn was not written in a pure, classic bar form, but the tune was associated with a well-known old song, “The Ballad of Captain Kidd,” the infamous Scottish pirate.

That 18-verse ballad tells a very dark and stunning story about an arrogant man who, in the late 1600s, rejected his godly upbringing, thumbed his nose at God’s laws, and terrorized and murdered a lot of people.  Ultimately, he was hanged, publicly, in a cage and left to rot along the River Thames.

The first stanza says:

My name was William Kidd, as I sailed, as I sailed,

My name was William Kidd when I sailed,

My name was William Kidd; God’s laws I did forbid,

So wickedly I did, as I sailed.

In contrast to that ballad of a ruined sinful life, is an American Folk Spiritual, that shares the same tune and structure.  WHAT WONDROUS LOVE IS THIS? is a song of praise to God for His great grace and mercy.  It originated in the revivalist camp meetings of the American South.

Written music was rare in the early 1800's, and spiritual songs were passed down orally.  So, for ease of memorization, the writers kept their texts simple and used a lot of repetition.

This is a personal, introspective hymn that addresses our souls.   And, even though it’s simple, it is not shallow. 

It starts with a profound question and a fearful sense of overwhelming awe.  What kind of love is this that would cause the Lord to “bear the dreadful curse for my soul?”

It’s reminiscent of another hymn, written by Charles Wesley.  The first stanza of, And Can It Be, ends with similar language, "Amazing love!  How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?"

WHAT WONDROUS LOVE IS THIS?  is a simple and biblical summary of the gospel.  It was God’s love that sent His Son to earth to bear the punishment for our sins.  Therefore, we should praise Him in this life and we look forward with assurance that we will sing His praises for eternity.

(the entire 18 verses of The Ballad of Captain Kid can be viewed HERE.)

****HOLY! HOLY!

Jimmy Owens wrote the song, “HOLY! HOLY!” in 1972. He wanted to create something that could be easily learned and sung by a church congregation.

(Now there’s a general attitude among many traditionalists, that modern worship songs are too repetitious, and they lack depth. This song might seem that way at first, but it really is rich and profound in doctrine.)

Lyrically, there are two things going on simultaneously. The author makes several declarations about the nature of God, (His attributes) and then he instructs us about the attitudes of our worship.

The first, characteristic or attribute of God, that we encounter, is in the title and the opening lines. Our God is Holy! And His holiness is expressed here, in three couplets (Holy, holy; Holy, holy; Holy, holy).

Of all God’s attributes, His holiness is the one that is uniquely and superlatively emphasized is scripture.  In the book of the Revelation, John saw four living creatures surrounding God’s throne, and honoring Him by crying out continuously, day and night forever, “Holy, Holy, Holy!”   And that is what we, His Church will do also.  We will worship Him in His holiness forever as we bow before His throne and cry out, “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will, they existed and were created.”  (Rev. 4:11) 

But why the three-fold repetition, "Holy. Holy, Holy?"  

In addition to holiness, the author introduces another of God’s attributes; His tri-unity.  Our God is One holy God in three holy persons.

I am disturbed by how many biblically ignorant Christians, today, are so quick to embrace heretical beliefs. One of them, which is rapidly gaining in popularity, is the denial of the Trinity.

But God's Word is clear. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God. And these three persons are One God. The Father is not the Son and He is not the Spirit.  The Son is not the Father and He is not the Spirit. The Spirit is not the Father and He is not the Son. I don’t understand that and there are NO known analogies to accurately explain it.  But that is how God has revealed Himself and so, that is all we can know.

    

In this song, as worshipers, we approach God with our offerings of praise; we “lift up,” to Him, our hearts, our heads, our hands, and our voices.

In verse One, our praise is directed to the Triune God, and it emanates from our surrendered hearts. Our hearts are the seats of our desires. And God wants us to seek Him, desire Him, and love Him above all other things.

In verse Two, our praise is directed to God, our Father. We lift our heads to Him for life and sustenance. He wants our attention; He wants our thoughts and our understanding to be influenced by the Truth of His Word.

In verse Three, our praise is directed to Jesus, our Savior, and Redeemer. We offer Him our hands. This is NOT about just raising our hands while we sing. 

When my mother used to call her children to supper, we all came running to the table. And before we could sit, she would ask, “Did you wash your hands first?”

My little brothers would threw their open hands up toward her to show her their clean hands. That is the same kind of reaction we should have before coming to worship.

Jesus’ blood has cleansed us from the penalty of our sins but, while we are still in this world, we continue to sin and so, before we approach Him with our worship, we must confess our sins. He expects us to come to Him with clean hands.

In verse Four, our praise is directed to the Holy Spirit; our Comforter and Guide. We have been redeemed and we have Life. So, we offer our sacrifices of praises; that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks. (Hebrews 13:15) 

“Great is the Lord; and greatly to be praised” (Ps.145:3). The song ends with a continuous string of Hallelujahs - “Praise the Lord!”  He is worthy to be praised.

****PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY

Joachim Neander was born in Bremen, Germany in 1650.  In his early years, he lived a riotous and immoral life.  At about age 20, he and a group of his friends decided to attend a Christian service conducted by a visiting preacher.  Their intentions were to heckle and ridicule the pastor for the fun of it.  That didn’t work out the way he intended because he heard the gospel and God saved him that night. 

After his conversion, he was influenced by Philipp Spener who began the Pietist Revival Movement in the Lutheran Churches in Germany. 

Joachim began teaching, writing poetry, and occasionally preaching in the church but, because of his pietistic convictions, there was tension between him and the head minister.  He could not, in good conscience, participate in the dead rituals of the church.  After about two years, he was suspended and spent a lot of time in the surrounding hills and valleys.

The suspension was not long, though; maybe about two weeks. but the gossip that spread, resulted in a local legend that he had become a hermit living in a cave near the river in the valley. 

Joachim wrote about 60 hymns before he died at the early age of 30 years.

After his death, the river was named for him.  The German word for valley or dale, is Thal, so the river’s valley became known as Neander Thal.

About two hundred years later, some dead man’s bones were found in a quarry in the Neander Valley.  Those bones became the famous remains of a mythical early evolutionary man who was named, NeanderThal Man, for the place where his bones were found.

One Commentator, Tim Chaffey, of Answers in Genesis, wrote, “The words, ‘Bitter Irony’ come to my mind when I think of this hymn which is a wonderful reminder to praise God for the tremendous blessings He gives us.  So, where’s the irony?

“Ironically, instead of being remembered as the author of a beloved hymn about the ‘the King of creation,’ Neander’s name will continue to be linked with humanistic beliefs about the origin of man that deny the work of the Creator.

“Perhaps now when you hear about Neanderthal Man, you will remember to PRAISE “THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY, THE KING OF CREATION” for His marvelous provision and thank Him for faithful servants like Joachim Neander who penned these inspiring words.”

This hymn is loosely based on Psalms 103 and 150.

“Praise God in His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty firmament!

“Praise Him for His mighty acts;

 Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

“Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;

Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;

“Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! 

Praise Him with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

“Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord!”  Ps. 150

****THANKS TO GOD WHOSE WORD WAS SPOKEN (2)

In a sermon he preached, about a year ago, my pastor summarized all biblical theology in two statements:

1.     GOD IS.  That fact is declared in the first four words of the Bible (Genesis 1:1) “In the beginning GOD…”

2.     HE HAS REVEALED HIMSELF.  And that is the rest of the Bible in its entirety.  It’s all about Him.  It’s His revelation of and about Himself to His creation.  Everything we need to know for faith and practice, He has revealed in His written Word.

Can you imagine what it would be like if it were left up to each one of us to discover God through subjective means?  We could never be certain.  But we have His Word.  It is true and it is certain.  The Word of God is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice. 

THANKS TO GOD WHOSE WORD WAS SPOKEN, is a song of thanksgiving to God for His Word.  He has given us everything we need to know about Him.  And He has done it with WORDS.

I was fascinated by the way the author, R. T. Brooks, outlined God’s progressive revelation in the four stanzas of this hymn.  But then,  I was bothered by how he ended each verse with the same phrase; “Praise Him for His OPEN word.”  

In the context of 21^st century American Christianity, that word raises a lot of confusion. We have open theism, open marriages, open doctrines, and churches with open memberships.  God’s Word should be open but it is NOT open to interpretation; it means exactly what He intended it to mean.  We are not to approach His Word with the question, “What does this verse mean to me?” but rather, “What did God mean when He spoke it and what does it mean if I had never been born?"

So, I have taken the liberty to change the last phrase in each verse, in order to more clearly identify the mode through which God has Spoken (see lyrics below). 

The first stanza describes the beginning of God’s revelation in His creation (“the deed that made the earth”).  Gen. 1;1 says, “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.”  Then, in subsequent verses, we read that in every act of His creation, prior to man, He created with His Spoken Word (“…and God said, ‘Let there be…’ ”)    All creation is an unmistakable testimony of God’s glory. 

The concept that God has spoken in His creation is further expounded in Psalm 19, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.  Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world.”

The stanza continues with God calling His people.  Hebrews 1:1 says, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets…” 

That verse is clear, God spoke IN TIME PAST.   And He was precise and deliberate to ensure that His Word was not changed or corrupted.  If any man claimed to be a prophet, and his prophecies did not come to pass, he was executed so that there would be no confusion among God’s people.  

We Praise Him for His SPOKEN Word.

The second stanza is a reference to verse 2 of Hebrews 1, “…(God) has, in these last days spoken to us by His Son.”

John introduced the Son of God with these words, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  And we beheld His Glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Then, in verse 17, John makes this distinction between the Word of prophecy and the Incarnate Word;  “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

We Praise Him for the LIVING Word.

The third stanza takes us to the Scriptures which were given to us by God through the Apostles.  (2 Tim. 3:16-17) “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Now we have His complete Word recorded for us. 

We Praise Him for His WRITTEN Word.

Does God still speak to us today?  Yes!

The last stanza tells us that the Spirit speaks to us. 

One of the functions of the indwelling Spirit of God is to teach us and guide us into all Truth.  And He does that with His Word because “His Word is Truth.”  

When we hear or read and meditate on God's Word, the Spirit convicts us of sin and leads us in the way we should live.  And any time we feel that the Holy Spirit is telling us something, it must be tested against or verified with the Written Word of God.  God’s Word never changes and it never contradicts itself because God never changes.

Praise Him for His CHANGELESS Word.

THANKS TO GOD WHOSE WORD WAS SPOKEN

Thanks to God whose Word was spoken,

In the deed that made the earth.

His, the voice that called a nation,

His the fires that tried her worth,

God has spoken, God has spoken;

Praise Him for His open SPOKEN Word.

Thanks to God whose Word incarnate,

Glorified the flesh of man.

Deeds and words and death and rising,

Tell the grace in heaven’s plan.

God has spoken, God has spoken;

Praise Him for His open LIVING Word.

Thanks to God whose Word was written,

In the Bible’s sacred page.

Record of the revelation

Showing God to every age.

God has spoken, God has spoken;

Praise Him for His open WRITTEN Word.

Thanks to God whose Word is answered,

By the Spirit’s voice within.

Here we drink of joy unmeasured,

Life redeemed from death and sin.

God is speaking, God is speaking.

Praise Him for His open CHANGELESS Word.

****PRAISE, MY SOUL, THE KING OF HEAVEN

One of the things I have noticed is that many of the greatest hymns of our faith have been authored by godly men and women who have been tested through extreme sufferings, losses, and persecutions.  And yet God has used them as testimonies to His goodness.

 

The Reverend, Mr. Henry Lyte, was one of them.   He was a frail, and sickly man who suffered most of his life with chronic asthma and tuberculosis.  Yet his friends described him as “strong in faith and spirit.” 

At the age of twenty-five years, he had just entered the ministry when a close friend and fellow clergyman died of a serious illness.  That experience changed Henry.  He said, “the death of my friend, who died happy in the thought that there was One who would atone for his delinquencies” made me study my Bible and preach in another manner than I had previously done.”

In 1834 Henry published an obscure collection of 280 hymns that he had written called, The Spirit of the Psalms.  They were not strict paraphrases but they were all loosely inspired by the Psalms.

 

His classic hymn, "Abide With Me," was the best known of his works for over 100 years, until Queen Elizabeth married the Duke of Edinburgh.

  

The Queen had chosen another one of Henry’s obscure Psalms to be sung at her wedding ceremony.  That single event on November 20, 1947 (which was also the 100^th anniversary of Henry Lyte’s death) caught the attention of the whole world and Henry’s hymn was instantly popularized for use at weddings and funerals for decades.  PRAISE, MY SOUL, THE KING OF HEAVEN has probably begun more ceremonies than any other hymn in the English language.

The hymn is a free paraphrase of Psalm 103.  It is a declaration of the Goodness of God.   The author mentions several benefits of God’s grace but I think the most stunning line in the entire hymn, is in the first stanza.  It summarizes God’s goodness in just four amazing words: 

“Ransomed, Healed, Restored, Forgiven.”

 

And therein is the Gospel; God’s Good News.  

As sinners, we owed a debt that we could not pay.   The payment for our redemption was made by the Son of Man who "gave His life a ransom for many."  

Jesus paid a debt He did not owe.  And for all who have been ransomed, the disease of sin that results in spiritual death has been cured.  We have been made whole.  All our sins have been forgiven.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His Holy Name!

“Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits:

“Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

“Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

“Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”  (Psa. 103:1-5)

God is Good and this Hymn urges us to do now, what we will be doing in eternity; “PRAISE, MY SOUL, THE KING OF HEAVEN.”

****PRAISE THE LORD! YE HEAVENS ADORE HIM

In 1739, Thomas Coram founded an orphanage in London.  By the early 1800s, it had become well-known for its music programs and it was a popular attraction for Londoners to attend Sunday services just to hear the children’s choir sing.   George Frederick Handel donated an organ for the chapel and he often presented benefit performances of the “Messiah,” to raise funds for The Foundling Hospital of London. 

 

That archaic word, “foundling,” is defined as “an abandoned infant who has been found.  A young child with no known parents or guardians.

John Keble used the word, foundling, in a verse of his poem, “The Second Sunday After Epiphany:” 

Fathers may hate us or forsake,

God's foundlings then are we;

Mother, on child, no pity take,

But we shall still have Thee.

And the phrase in Amazing Grace, “I once was lost, but now am found,” is an allusion to Luke 15:24, where that imagery was used by Jesus.  In His parable of the prodigal son, the father said, “…my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and now is found.”

The Foundling Hospital is remembered today, mainly because of a hymnbook compiled in 1796, by Coram titled, Psalms, Hymns, and Anthems of the Foundling Hospital, London.  Inside the jacket of that book, was an anonymous poem inspired by Psalm 148.  It became the lyrics of the first two stanzas of the hymn, PRAISE THE LORD!  YE HEAVENS ADORE HIM.

Psalm 148 begins and ends with the same command; “Praise the Lord.”

“Praise the Lord! 

Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights.  Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His heavenly hosts.  Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you stars of light.  Praise Him, you highest of heavens, and you waters that are above the skies. 

“Let them praise the Name of the Lord, for He commanded, and they were created.  He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree that shall not pass away.

“Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures, and all you depths, fire and hail, snow and mist, storming wind fulfilling His Word, mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars; animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds; kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth; both young men and maidens, old men and children. 

“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven.  He has raised up a victory horn for His people, praise for all His saints, even for the people of Israel near Him. 

“Praise the Lord!”

The Psalm can be divided into three parts:

Part 1 commands the heavens and everything in them, to Praise the Lord.

And Part 2 commands the earth and everything in it, to Praise the Lord.

It may seem odd that God would command all His creation (the sun, moon and stars; the waters, the elements, and all plant and animal life) to praise Him.  The word, Praise, means to recite or reflect God’s attributes back to Him.  How can those things do that?  Well, obviously, not with spoken words or human languages but, in all of nature, His design, purpose, and handiwork are clearly seen.  So, all creation is a continuous testimony to His greatness, and His power, and His Majesty. 

This idea is reminiscent of the opening verses of Psalm 19 where we see a similar testimony of God’s creation. Notice the allusions to speech; “Heaven is declaring God’s glory; the sky is proclaiming His handiwork.  One day gushes the news to the next, and one night informs another, what needs to be known.  Of course, there is no speech, no words— their voices can’t be heard—but their sound extends throughout the world; their words reach the ends of the earth.”

Part 3, is a general command for ALL people, everywhere, to Praise the Lord.  And whether or not they willingly do that now, we know that one day, “Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”  (Rom. 14:11, Phil. 2:9-11, Is. 45:23)

Verse 14 ends the Psalm with a personal reminder to God’s foundling children.  We have greater reasons to praise Him.  We were once lost and now are found; we have been redeemed and adopted.  We have been shown mercy and grace.  And we can praise Him for Jesus Christ who suffered and bled and died for our sins that we might be saved.

So, we are ALL commanded to Praise the Lord.